According to Reuters, a copyright infringement lawsuit over NIRVANA's use of a C.W. Scott-Giles illustration from a 1949 English translation of Dante's "Inferno" on merchandise has been dismissed. "Inferno" is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem "Divine Comedy".

On Thursday (October 21), U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer dismissed the case and said the United Kingdom was a more appropriate jurisdiction for the copyright claims brought by British citizen Jocelyn Bundy over the pioneering grunge rockers' alleged use of her grandfather's British art. The judge made the dismissal contingent on NIRVANA agreeing to U.K. jurisdiction if Bundy sued there.

Last April, Bundy sued Nirvana LLC, Live Nation Merchandise LLC and its Merch Traffic LLC unit, along with Silva Artist Management LLC, saying NIRVANA had been using Scott-Giles's drawing since 1997 on shirts, mugs, vinyl records, and other merchandise sold at stores including Walmart, H&M and Hot Topic. The drawing depicts Dante's circles of Upper Hell.

The complaint stated: "On or about January 20, 2021, Plaintiff discovered that Defendants NIRVANA and Live Nation Merchandise are (and have been) licensing, promoting, selling, manufacturing, and distributing vinyl records, t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, key fobs, mugs, patches, buttons, and other merchandise items depicting an image virtually identical to the Illustration both in the U.S. and abroad.

"On or about March 11, 2021, Plaintiff discovered that, sometime after February 13, 2021, Defendant Merch Traffic also started promoting, licensing, selling, and distributing Infringing Products in the U.S. and abroad."

The complaint added: "Further research revealed that some of the unauthorized uses of the Illustration on NIRVANA-branded merchandise date as far back as 1989. Further research also revealed that over the years, the band NIRVANA and parties acting on its behalf have routinely made false claims of ownership of the copyright in the Illustration by placing false copyright notices on the Infringing Products in substantially this form '© [Year] Nirvana'.

"Finally, in documents filed in two other copyright actions before this Court, Defendant NIRVANA has implied that Kurt Cobain created the Illustration or, in the alternative, that the Illustration is in the public domain in the United States, and that, therefore, NIRVANA and its licensees are free to use it without authorization or compensation. NIRVANA and some of the other Defendants have maintained this position in their responses to Plaintiff’s continuing requests to cease their wrongful conduct in the U.S. and abroad."

This is not the only copyright-infringement battle NIRVANA is currently involved in. For the past three years, NIRVANA has been embroiled in a long-running legal clash against fashion company Marc Jacobs over its "happy face" t-shirt designs. NIRVANA's dispute with Marc Jacobs centers on a design featuring a squiggly yellow smiley face, which is very similar to the trademark owned by the band since 1992. The Marc Jacobs version features an M and a J instead of Xs for its eyes (as in the NIRVANA version), and it reads "HEAVEN" instead of "NIRVANA" in a typeface similar to the band's font.

Fan-filmed video footage of DOKKEN's Octoebr 21 concert at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, California can be seen below.

DOKKEN recently announced a seven-date fall 2021 tour of California. The trek kicked off in Agoura Hills and will conclude with a pair of shows at the legendary West Hollywood venue Whisky A Go Go. The Whisky dates will see DOKKEN reunited with guitarist George Lynch.

Tour dates:

Oct. 22 - The Canyon - Santa Clarita, CA

Oct. 23 - The Canyon - Montclair, CA

Dec. 03 - Sycuan Casino - El Cajon, CA

Dec. 04 - The Canyon at Oxnard PACC - Oxnard, CA

Dec. 17 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA*

Dec. 18 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA*

* With special guest George Lynch

Lynch previously rejoined DOKKEN on stage in July in Ashland, Virginia and in Moline, Illinois as well as in early June at the Live United Live Music Festival in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

DOKKEN's classic lineup — Lynch, Don Dokken, , Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown — reunited for a short Japanese tour in the fall of 2016. The trek marked the first time in 21 years the four musicians had hit the road together.

A DOKKEN concert DVD focusing on the band's reunion tour, "Return To The East Live (2016)", was made available in 2018. In addition to the Japanese performance, the set included footage from the classic lineup's only U.S. show in September 2016 at Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as newly recorded acoustic reworkings of "Heaven Sent" and "Will The Sun Rise". Also featured on "Return To The East Live (2016)" was "It's Just Another Day", the first DOKKEN track featuring the group's classic lineup since 1997's "Shadowlife".

Since completing the Japanese reunion dates, DOKKEN has continued to perform with the group's current lineup — including bassist Chris McCarvill, guitarist Jon Levin and drummer BJ Zampa (HOUSE OF LORDS).

DOKKEN is currently working on material on a new studio album, tentatively due next year via Silver Lining Music, the label owned by Thomas Jensen, one of the founders of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. It will mark the group's first disc since 2012's "Broken Bones".


















































View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by DOKKEN (@dokken_official)

Canadian innovative metallers VOIVOD have completed recording their new album at RadicArt studio in Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Quebec with producer Francis Perron. The LP, expected for release in 2022 via Century Media Records, is now being mastered at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in Los Angeles.

On Thursday (October 21), VOIVOD guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain shared a few photos from the studio on his Facebook page and he included the following message: "New VOIVOD album is done and at the Mastering with Maor Appelbaum Mastering!

"Crazy intense past 4 months of writing demoing recording mixing!

"Thanx to the Francis Perron, RadicArt Recording Studio for his total dedication, hard work and passion! Thanx to Lapointe amplification for the amazing guitar tone I got from your amp! And Bond Instruments for making my beautiful guitars and DiMarzio pickups to make my finger sing! Sophia Tremolos for enable me to express myself in total control with their amazing trems! and Graph Tech Guitar Labs for the total reliable gear, helping my guitars staying in tune and making my life easier!"

Five months ago, Mongrain told The Metal Voice that he and his bandmates were "still in the writing process" for follow-up to 2018's "The Wake". He said: "We're still sharing files and trying to catch up and put more time into it. I think the situation will get better and maybe we'll have a chance to meet more often and jam together; that's where the magic happens, usually. But we've learned to work in this context as well. And that's cool, because I received a bunch of tracks from Away [drummer Michel Langevin], who is programming drums in Logic [audio software] with his computer, and it sounded exactly like Away's playing. I was super impressed, because sometimes when you use a computer, it kind of sounds square. But everything was perfect. So it's really fun to do. It's a different way. So it's gonna bring it different ideas, I think, if we welcome it in a creative way."

Regarding the musical direction of the new VOIVOD material, Mongrain said: "[It's] hard to tell at the moment, but personally, I feel like [injecting] a little bit more thrashy [elements and] some dirtiness, so to speak, to the sound. Compexity has always been part of my influence in songwriting — I don't know what's the problem with me, but it's always there, so I'm not worrying about that side. But maybe [make it] a bit less polished and more rock and roll, I guess."

VOIVOD released a new live album, "Lost Machine - Live", in November 2020 via Century Media Records. The disc was recorded in Québec City during the worldwide touring cycle for "The Wake".

In the summer of 2020, VOIVOD released a new three-track 12-inch vinyl and digital EP titled "The End Of Dormancy" via Century Media Records. The EP is centered around a special "Metal Section" version of the title track (off VOIVOD's latest album, "The Wake") with added trumpets, saxophone and trombones. The complementary songs on this release are exclusive live versions of "The End Of Dormancy (Metal Section)" and the group's classic "The Unknown Knows", recorded at Montreal Jazz Fest 2019.

"The End Of Dormancy" EP came with artwork by Langevin and is available on 180-fram 12-inch vinyl.

"The Wake" was released in September 2018 via Century Media Records. The disc was recorded and mixed by Francis Perron. The album's artwork was once again created by Away.


New Voivod Album is done and at the Mastering with Maor Appelbaum Mastering!

Crazy intense past 4 months of writing...

Posted by Dan Mongrain on Thursday, October 21, 2021

BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE, the Huntington Beach, California-based alternative hard rock/metal band featuring former KORN drummer David Silveria, has released a new single called "Twine". The official visualizer video for the track, which was produced and mixed by Chris Collier at Mint Potion Studios in Santa Clarita, California and CMC21 Productions in Las Vegas, Nevada, can be seen below. The clip was created by Clint Collins of Clintodarko.

BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE said in a statement: "We released this strictly for our fans to have something new before the end of the year. This is just a taste of things to come for our new EP. Stay tuned..."

Joining David in BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE are bassist Chris Dorame, guitarists Joe Taback and Mike Martin and singer Rich Nguyen.

"Twine" marks BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE's first new music since the band's debut EP, "Acronym", which came out in January. That EP has since been streamed over 560,000 times on Spotify.

"Acronym" included BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE's cover of FAITH NO MORE's "Midlife Crisis" and was accompanied by a frame-for-frame recreation of the iconic '90s classic video. Director Matt Zane replicated the live performance shots using similar color composition and color shift effects, and utilized modern editing techniques and cuts to recreate the original mood and atmosphere.

BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE made a big splash with its first two singles "Pity" and "Change Your Mind", which came out in January 2019. "Pity", the edgier track of the two, peaked in the Top 25 on the Billboard (BDS) Indicator chart and Top 10 on the Foundations (SMR) chart.

Silveria previously told OC Weekly about BREAKING IN A SEQUENCE's musical approach: "We definitely have our own unique sound, but at times there are hints of the early sound of KORN. I feel this band is a new fresh sound on the rock scene that is lacking right now. We have a new sound for sure, but we aren't reinventing the wheel."

Nguyen described his lyrical themes as "both personal and abstract. Every song I write has two meanings; mine and your interpretation," he explained. "I try to write my lyrics vague enough for people to relate to and form their own opinions. However, if you know me personally, you may be able to figure what I'm talking about, maybe."

In a new interview with Vikram Chandrasekar of Tales From The Road, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003, was asked about BABYMETAL's unstereotypically "happy" lyrics and why they work so well within the context of the Japanese band's pop-metal sound. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Metal has gone through a long history of lyrics [being] all almost interchangeable; they have to be dark and they have to be kind of scary and sort of negative and protesting everything. And it kind of works with the sound of aggressive music, but we've kind of really all heard that for a long time. And why wouldn't it work with something with a much simpler and happier and maybe a more positive outlook? Why wouldn't it work? And actually, it does happen to work. So that kind of gave the sound of metal a few more decades of life, I believe. Yeah, it just works — it just works."

Back in 2015, Friedman told Metalholic.com that he was a huge supporter of BABYMETAL, whose members wear gothy schoolgirl costumes, do choreographed dance routines and bang their heads violently.

"I think the best thing about BABYMETAL is the fact that it's very polarizing: you have to either absolutely love 'em or you totally hate 'em," Marty said. "And I think that's the mark of great things. Of course, I love them and have supported them since the beginning. The guitarist in my solo band over [in Japan] is also the guitarist in BABYMETAL. So I definitely… I'm a huge supporter of them, and I think they are a fantastic, fantastic unit. But I could totally see a metal purist go, 'Hey, this is not right. This is not what metal is supposed to be. I can't stand it. It's just not… No. No way. No fucking way.' I totally get it. But that's what I also love about them. I mean, it breaks a lot of rules, and I'm all about breaking rules."

He continued: "If you've seen some of the stuff I've done in Japan, I have injected my own metal into very, very pop situations, where metal shouldn't go, but because it's me, and because it's the way I did it, it worked, and it happened, and it existed. So I kind of forced it. And I think that spirit is very metal. But there are a lot of purists out there, especially in America, who look at that and just go, 'No fucking way!' And I totally get it; I don't have a single thing against these people. But that's what I love about BABYMETAL: it's very polarizing. And I think that my whole musical concept is also very polarizing. But I can tell you that it's just the way that I am as an artist, and you really can't go out there trying to please anyone other than yourself. If people wanna join the party, it's great, and you love 'em when they do, but I certainly don't think any less of people who disagree with my opinion."

Many heavy metal fans have been reluctant to embrace BABYMETAL — which also includes producer Kobametal and a backing band of corpse-painted virtuosos — with some Internet forums calling them "the definition of a gimmick", "awful" and "metal for hipsters."

Rufus Publications and Ross Halfin have announced a new limited-edition book, "The Black Crowes", featuring thousands of unseen images from Ross's extensive library.

Produced alongside Chris and Rich Robinson, the book is a huge photographic essay on the band, formed in Marietta, Georgia in 1984. The book features introductions from both brothers. Chris writes in the book: "To say that THE BLACK CROWES & Mr. Halfin have a long history together is most definitely an understatement. Here in these photographs you will see & feel."

Ross comments: "Could I tell you stories about this band? I could probably tell you a hundred, and one of the highlights was seeing them opening for THE ROLLING STONES at Wembley Stadium and whilst doing an hour's set they did a 25-minute version of 'Thorn in My Pride'. In hindsight, perhaps not the best idea to warm up 90,000 people, although I did think it would be funny if they put it out as a single and called it the 'radio edit' — but that's not really the point to this. It's something I remembered which made me laugh. Then again I saw them at The Forum in London when they did a really succinct and great rendition of the Joe Tex song 'Hush' made famous by DEEP PURPLE."

Two editions of the book will be available: A huge 600-page-plus edition, numbered and signed by Chris and Rich Robinson complete with a luxury slipcase and lenticular print; and a stripped down 300-page version, unsigned. Both books measure 245mm x 345mm. The deluxe version will cost £300 and the standard edition will cost £89 plus delivery worldwide.

For more information, visit www.rufuspublications.com.

Produced by Live Nation, THE BLACK CROWES' 37-date "Shake Your Money Maker" tour ended on September 25 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York.

Joining Chris and Rich Robinson in the new BLACK CROWES lineup are longtime bassist Sven Pipien, who played with the band live from 1997 up until the band's hiatus in 2015, along with Brian Griffin on drums, Joel Robinow on keyboards and Isaiah Mitchell on guitar, plus backup singers Mackenzie Adams and Leslie Grant.

Rich told Cleveland.com that he and his brother wanted to re-start THE BLACK CROWES with a clean slate. "There was a strong agenda in the band [previously] to keep Chris and I apart and keep Chris and I fighting," he said. "We just didn't want to have to deal with any of that negative [stuff], so it had to be this way in order for it to be what we want."

"Shake Your Money Maker" was re-released in multi-formats sets in February through UMe/American Recordings. The album, fueled by singles "Jealous Again", "Twice As Hard", "She Talks To Angels" and a cover of fellow Georgian Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle", has sold over five million copies.

Chris Robinson recently confirmed to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that there are tentative plans to record a new BLACK CROWES album.

JUDAS PRIEST and Rufus Publications have published the first-ever official book documenting the band's extensive history over the last 50 years. Titled "Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years", the book has been put together by David Silver, Ross Halfin and Jayne Andrews.

This huge, 648-page coffee table book chronicles the history of the world’s foremost heavy metal band using hundreds of previously unseen, unpublished photographs from rock's greatest photographers including Halfin, Neil Zlozower, Mark Weiss, Fin Costello, Oliver Halfin and many more. With a linking text by renowned journalist Mark Blake, the book explores the bands exciting history on stage and off in a unique photo documentary designed to excite fans and devotees of true heavy metal the world over. Current bandmembers have all contributed to the book, with written pieces detailing their love and passion for the band, making this an extraordinary artefact for their legions of followers. The book features an exclusive cover by Mark Wilkinson, who has worked with the band for many years now.

Halfin says: "I've photographed JUDAS PRIEST from 1978 until now, and of all the bands I've worked with, they are one of the most enjoyable to me. You have to love the mighty PRIEST."

PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton comments: "We spearheaded the visual image of metal, breathing new life into it, and it has been captured forever in the pages of this book."

"Judas Priest - 50 Heavy Metal Years" can be ordered at www.rufuspublications.com.

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford's autobiography, "Confess", arrived in September 2020 via Hachette Books.

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing released his autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", in September 2018 via Da Capo Press.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Singer Rob Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner.

PRIEST's current touring lineup consists of Hill, Halford, guitarists Andy Sneap and Faulkner, and drummer Scott Travis.

Asked by VintageRock.com if writing his autobiography provided him with a sense of closure concerning his time in JUDAS PRIEST, Downing replied: "Yeah, I think so. I guess it's the same with any long-term relationship — whether it's a husband or wife, or father or son or whatever — you spend enough time together, and idiosyncrasies show up. I guess there was no particular right or wrong — some people have more tolerance than others, and it takes a bloody miracle really to stay together for 40 years. Someone has to give. And it has to be give-and-take. But inevitably, it becomes a bit of an imbalance, and I like to think that democracy is always the best policy. And there wasn't enough of it there, I don't think."

Last year, Halford was asked by Sea Of Tranquility about the reason for Downing's relative absence from "Confess". He replied: "We did not steer of any avoidance, per se. We just talked about every aspect that we felt was important and useful to the book itself. So there was never, 'Oh, we won't talk about that person.' There was never any kind of dismissiveness for whatever reasons. So I think there's my answer."

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS will release their new album titled "4" on February 11, 2022, via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG. "4" is Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

Speaking about the decision to call the LP "4", Slash told Germany's Rock Antenne (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I just called it '4' because it's our fourth record which I think is an important milestone. And then also because I didn't want to give it a nice sort of cool, clever title that relates to something in particular because so much shit happened in 2020 that there's no one sentence or one word that defines all of it. So rather than even try, I just said, 'Let's just call it '4', because it's more about this record being about something that we've accomplished at this point and it's not really about all of that.'"

Last week, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS released the opening track and first single from "4", "The River Is Rising". The accompanying music video was shot on location in downtown Los Angeles with Gibson TV director Todd Harapiak.

For "4", Slash and the band traveled across the country together to Nashville, Tennessee and recorded the new album at the historic RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, John Prine, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile). Cobb shared the band's desire to lay down the tracks live, in the studio including guitar solos and vocals — a first for the group.

The band's previous albums over the last decade — "Apocalyptic Love", "World On Fire" and "Living The Dream" — have continued on an upward trajectory, all achieving Top 5 Billboard charting debuts in the U.S. and reaching the Top 10 on 12 major charts across the globe. To date, the three SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS albums have now garnered 10 consecutive Top 5 Radio singles, spawned sold-out world tours, and have earned Slash and the band the best critical acclaim of their career with their latest album "Living The Dream" (2018) singled out by the Los Angeles Times, Classic Rock, Guitar World, Loudwire, LA Weekly, and more, as their best songs to date.

The new album "4" has the added history-making distinction of being the first-ever album to be released on the new Gibson Records label, which is headquartered in the iconic American instrument brand Gibson's hometown of Music City, Nashville. In light of the 30-year partnership between Gibson and the Grammy Award-winning Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Slash, it makes sense the new SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS' album "4" will be released via Gibson Records.

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS will kick off a North American headlining tour on February 8, in Portland, Oregon and hit 28 major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Houston, and more, before wrapping up March 26 in Orlando, Florida.

Welsh metallers BULLET  FOR MY VALENTINE will release their new, self-titled studio album on November 5. The follow-up to 2018's "Gravity" was previously described by frontman Matt Tuck as "brutal, heavy and technical" as well as "more visceral and passionate than it's ever been."

Asked by the "Everblack" podcast how the switch to a more aggressive approach came about, Tuck said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It just was what it was. We just kind of hit upon this sound and this way of writing songs right now in our career which we couldn't be happier with. I just feel like the last six albums in 15 years plus has just all been channeling to this. That's how it sounds to me. It's got everything that you would expect from BULLET but just on a completely different level. The melodies are stronger, the riffs are more intense, the drumming is ferocious, just the feel of the record as a whole is pretty intense. There are moments of calm, like 'Can't Escape The Waves' and 'Rainbow Veins' and moments where you get a bit more melody for your buck. We're just in a good place creatively and musically right now; it just keeps pouring out of us. We've got so much more stuff that's not on the record that we can release post-record as well; [we've got] another six tracks ready to go. We're just a songwriting machine right now. So it feels good, man."

As for the decision to make the new album a self-titled affair, Tuck said: "It just feels like the band is in a different place, man. It feels fresher and more energized than ever. After we'd recorded the record and lived with it, the management were, like, 'It's time, boys.' We didn't think about it, really, but it was suggested to us by a lot of people around us. They're not emotionally involved in the writing and recording of it like the band; they just kind of hear it like you guys are hearing it, and they're, like, 'Fuck.' It just feels like the time is right to really put the band's name as a stamp on what we do and it just feels like the time is right. And I don't feel like the record could be any better, and I don't feel it could [better] represent where the band is and who it is right now in 2021."

Tuck began writing the album in September 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic brought things screeching to a halt in early 2020. But in June 2020, Tuck and longtime producer, Carl Bown, who co-produced the band's 2015 album, "Venom", and produced and mixed "Gravity", picked up the pace again. Together, they hunkered down at Treehouse Studio in Chesterfield, where the remainder of the album was written.

"Gravity" saw the metal juggernauts' catalog surpass one billion streams in the U.S. That accomplishment solidifies BULLET's hard-earned status as one of the most elite bands in the hard rock scene.

On the last cycle, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE played its biggest shows to date, including a U.K. arena tour and a massive show at London's Alexandra Palace.

In a new interview with The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn, L.A. GUNS singer Phil Lewis spoke about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting.

"The whole thing, the whole L.A. music scene was becoming more about the hair and the silliness of it," he said. "We weren't really silly. I mean, we did some silly stuff, but we always fancied ourselves to be more of a biker, leathery, dirty band. We were quite happy being dirty.

"The trend towards — and this is definitely, I swear, it's not a knock — but when you get guys like Kip Winger; he's like a model, he's so fucking handsome [with] big hair and big teeth, and we're quite dirty and ugly, and we've got missing teeth.

"I didn't like the direction it was going," Phil admitted. "And I think it was probably about time to cull it. And these things have a two- or three-year cycle. And I felt like we'd run ours. We got lumped into what they call 'hair metal,' 'cause we were around at that time. But we never were."

Upon release in September 1991, NIRVANA's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" wreaked confusion upon the hair metal vanguard, putting an end to an era dominated by glamorous, androgynous and sparkly rock stars who absolutely saturated the radio waves and were almost exclusively what aired on MTV.

Last year, TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider told Ultimate Guitar that he didn't blame grunge for the death of hair metal. "Hair metal did it to itself," he said. "It became too commercialized, and then it got unplugged and became nothing but power ballads and acoustic songs, and it wasn't metal anymore. It had to go; it had to change."

Snider's TWISTED SISTER bandmate Jay Jay French told Daniel Sarkissian of the "Rock Is Dead?" documentary about the death of hair metal and arrival of grunge: "The only band that leapfrogged and saved themselves was GUNS N' ROSES. And my theory is that GUNS N' ROSES was not perceived as a joke. They came out of L.A., but I think that Axl [Rose], first of all, had a great voice. I think that they were perceived as real, not fake. Like, they were real junkies, not pretend junkies. So there's an authenticity. It's all about authenticity, and grunge is all about authenticity. People wanted authenticity, so they got it with grunge. It wiped out the perceived frivolousness of hair metal, which is, 'Hey, man. Let's party. Let's get the girls and drink.' I think people just got sick of that, and they wanted [something more] authentic."

Former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi told Newsday in a 2014 interview that the CRÜE album he sang on was a commercial disappointment because the music scene had changed, with hair metal brushed aside for grunge.

"Everybody was listening to ALICE IN CHAINS and SOUNDGARDEN," Corabi said. "At that point, we were considered passé."

According to Corabi, CRÜE's ill-fated 1994 American tour " was a nightmare. We weren't selling tickets. It was just horrible," he said.

In 2019, former TNT singer Tony Harnell said that the rise of the grunge movement, which symbolized the working-class spirit and focused on music over image, was ultimately a positive thing for the rock genre because it "shined a really harsh light on how boring and repetitive" the '80s glam metal scene had become. He explained: "It was the same look, the same songwriters, the same producers, and it just started to be… Nobody was offering anything… Don't get me wrong, there were a few that got in there that were interesting and different, but, for the most part, they were all just sort of rehashes, slightly, of other bands."

SKID ROW's most beloved, iconic, and previously hard-to-find releases from the late '80s and early '90s are being released in a brand new box set that is an instant "must-own" for both diehard fans and collectors.

The box set highlights the band's global domination and documents the glory days of the hard rock scene.

"The Atlantic Years 1989-1996" LP and CD box set arrives on December 3, 2021. Pre-order any of the multiple formats here.

SKID ROW was one of the most successful acts of the era. Their self-titled debut, released in 1989, achieved five times platinum certification in the U.S., along with platinum status in Australia, triple platinum status in Canada, and it also went gold in the U.K. The follow-up, 1991's "Slave To The Grind", debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It went on to achieve a double-platinum certification in the U.S. and went platinum in Canada, while rising to gold status in Australia. Over time, the band enjoyed a string of Top 10 singles, including the power ballads "18 And Life" and "I Remember You" from the self-titled release, while "Monkey Business" and "Wasted Time" from "Slave To The Grind" also achieved radio success.

This box set marks the first time that all of these important and definitive releases will be available in one limited edition collection.

The collection includes 180-gram audiophile vinyl 7 LPs, including the band's multi-million selling, worldwide-charting first three studio albums, plus the "B-Side Ourselves" EP and the live EP "Subhuman Beings On Tour!!", which was previously only available on CD in Japan. It is now being made available globally and on vinyl for the first time ever. All five albums are also newly remastered.

The five-album, seven-LP side-loading box set includes:

* Skid Row

* Slave To The Grind (2xLP)

* B-Side Ourselves

* Subhuman Race (2xLP)

* Subhuman Beings On Tour!!

This five-album, CD side-loading box set includes:

* Skid Row

* Slave To The Grind

* B-Side Ourselves

* Subhuman Race

* Subhuman Beings On Tour!!

Sebastian Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger.

SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.

SKID ROW is continuing work on its long-awaited new album for a tentative early 2022 release. The band is recording its new album in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

Unlike 2014's "Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two" and 2013's "United World Rebellion: Chapter One", SKID ROW's forthcoming release will be a full-length record.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian says that "being vaccinated helped minimize" his "symptoms and suffering" after he tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Last week, SYSTEM OF A DOWN was forced to postpone two shows in Los Angeles to next February after Serj was diagnosed with the disease.

On Sunday, Tankian took to his social media to write: "I am overwhelmed and extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and concern from friends and strangers alike. I am doing well and hoping to be clear of all symptoms soon. I believe that being vaccinated helped minimize my symptoms and suffering.

"We have many in our community who are resistant to the vaccine. I do understand and am not someone who takes sides on this issue. I think every medical situation requires proper understanding of the patients gender, age, medical history and preconditions. Vaccines should be not different and their side effects taken into serious consideration. The health industry cannot operate as a one size fits all on anything anymore. It's medically irresponsible. That said I'm happy I along with my elder parents are vaccinated.

"Thank you again for all the love."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN's two shows at the Banc Of California stadium with KORN, HELMET and RUSSIAN CIRCLES were initially slated to take place in May 2020, and were rescheduled to May 21 and 22, 2021 and then once again to October 22 and 23, 2021.

Also originally scheduled to appear was FAITH NO MORE, but the band pulled out of the shows in September, saying frontman Mike Patton was unable to perform as hoped due to mental health issues, partially exacerbated by the pandemic.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 16 years, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Released last November, the tracks were motivated by the recently erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN's ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they have raised over $600,000.
























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by Serj Tankian (@serjtankian)

In 2022, Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE will embark on a special tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their second album, "Legion". The Glen Benton-fronted outfit will perform the LP in its entirety, along with other tracks from the band's vast catalog.

According to Wikipedia, "Legion" "is one of DEICIDE's most musically ambitious releases, incorporating more technical riffing and song structures. The band considers this album to be its most difficult, and claims it is too chaotic. When the Hoffman brothers" — guitarists Eric and Brian — "quit the band, Eric stated that one of the main reasons was Benton refusing to play longer sets and being unable to perform the technical bass guitar riffing required for 'Legion''s material."

In a 2004 interview, Benton stated about the LP: "I think 'Legion' was ahead of its time. It was just too fast for everybody at the time. I think it just caught everybody off guard. They thought we were gonna put out a la-di-da album, and here comes this fuckin piece of music, fuckin style of music that's fuckin' over the top. Everybody fuckin hated it, all the magazines hated it; now it's years later and everybody loves it."

Back in 1995, Benton shot down the perception that he was totally unhappy with "Legion".

"I made a comment saying that 'Legion' sucked," Glen said in another interview. "Now everybody thinks I hated it. That's not true. I didn't hate the record. I just said that to the band, because that's how I wanted to get my point across at the time. As far as that record goes, the only things I did not like was that we were being rushed by the record company, and the production was not totally satisfying. Because we were being rushed, we weren't able to be selective with amplifiers and instruments, so when you compare 'Once Upon The Cross' to 'Legion', there is an obvious difference.

"The problem with 'Legion' was that we just went into the studio and played, then tried to fix things," he said. "Of course, the more you do that, the more it takes away from the sound."

In 2019, DEICIDE parted ways with guitarist Mark English and replaced him with Chris Cannella.

English joined DEICIDE in 2016 following the departure of longtime guitarist Jack Owen.

DEICIDE's latest album, "Overtures Of Blasphemy", was released in September 2018 via Century Media.
























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by Deicide Official Instagram (@deicideofficial)

Norwegian black metal band, Kampfar, released their new album, Ofidians Manifest, on May 3rd via Indie Recordings. Guitarist Ole Hartvigsen recently spoke with Ultimate Guitar about the record. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

UG: While black metal certainly is an acquired taste, to an untrained ear it can sound just random and cacophonous, despite actually being very technical. Can you tell us more about the dynamics of playing in a black metal band and your take on the music's inner workings?

Hartvigsen: "An acquired taste for sure and it can be very technical, but it really doesn't have to be. I think Black Metal is at it's finest when it balances on an edge between contrasting emotions, when you're not really sure if what you're listening to is beautiful or ugly, aggressive or solemn, personal or universal, etc.

There's also the balance between the artistic and the more - let's say - entertaining elements. As a songwriter I always try to find that balance between what the listener expects and doesn't expect. Too much of either makes the music too simple and boring, or too eccentric and meaningless. Within this genre you really have all the options because nothing is too extreme, and dark emotions have always been closer to me when it comes to art. You can easily say that I'm more a Bach person than a Mozart person. Over the years, a lot of people have tried to defined what Black Metal "is" and how it's supposed to sound, but people often forget that in the early years of Norwegian Black Metal the bands were extremely diverse and had their own distinct sound and idea. Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor, Dödheimsgard, Limbonic Art, Borknagar - the list goes on, and none of them sounded the same, so Black Metal for me is definitely more an idea than a quantifiable style."

Read the complete interview here.

Approaching 25 years of existence and having grown to become one of extreme music’s premier live outfits, while releasing albums that would dominate year-end lists and even bagging a Norwegian "Spellemann” Grammy award for their Profan album, Kampfar looked ready to go and dominate for years to come. But behind the music, disguised during the intense live shows, underneath it all, was a clarity that the road’s end was nigh.

Founded back in 1994 by Dolk, who recruited Thomas to take care of strings and keys while the former focused on drums and vocals, the band was an underground gem for years. A band whose first records are spoken of with reverence to this day, perhaps helped by the low profile they kept at the time. It was ten years before the first live show was performed, at this point bassist Jon and drummer Ask Ty had joined the ranks and this line-up released another three albums before Thomas departed the band, 2011’s Mare the last release with his stamp so solidly placed on it.

This recording marked a shift in the style and expression of the band, becoming the leading star for the records to come, now with the new guitarist and songwriter Ole who quickly developed into a key force of the group. With the albums Djevelmakt and Profan, Kampfar established a new era for Norwegian black metal, proving that while some may have lost their passion for the fiercest musical exploits, these men had a hunger that was as ravenous as ever.

Except that life has a knack for surprise. Health issues caused the band to slow down and during the summer of 2017 it was decided that there would be no more Kampfar, unless something radically changed. The guys didn’t see each other for a year, didn’t really speak or keep up any kind of contact, just focusing on their own personal lives. “It was time to just heal, to not cause any more damage, to just see if one could get back to a point of strength again” says Dolk. It was a year that culminated in Ofidians Manifest."

Though demos were written by Ole during the spring, shaped massively by him losing his father in the same period, the main song writing was done over the course of two months in the fall of 2018, with another month spent recording the album in Bergen, Oslo and Pärlby, Sweden. The band spent intense weeks together in their creative home of Hemsedal, moulding and shaping the songs, surrounded by mountains and forest that turned from summer green, to autumn yellow, to winter white as they worked extensively on what was to become this testament to the band themselves.

As part of the healing process of creating this collection of songs the decision was made to involve Agnete Kjølsrud on the track "Dominans". Her contribution to the song lifted the atmosphere of the whole album, and the duet is one of perfect harmony between two very different yet familiar voices bonding to create an excellent song. Marianne Maria Moen’s contribution on album closer "Det Sorte" similarly brings to light the realisation that all life is fragile and that our voices must be allowed to bellow through the world for as long as there is air left to bellow with.

The madness of Medusa was chosen as a visual clue to the record’s themes, represented by two different paintings to be explored on the physical releases. And again, the band decided to travel to Poland to record a music video, this time with director Dariusz Szermanowicz of Grupa 13. The video, hinting at the many underlying stories of the album, is a chaotic depiction of the road back to equilibrium, a place no one knows yet all walk towards. According to Ask Ty, the choice of song proclaiming the band’s return was made because “it tells you everything you need to know about Kampfar today, distilled down to four and a half minutes of intense breaks and turns, it is the beginning and the end and the new beginnings after that, and it is the sound of a band that is alive and well.”

Ofidians Manifest represents Kampfar anno 2019. 25 years on from their foundation, only willing to release new music if they felt it would surpass all they had done before, it is a condensation of the immense struggles of the last few years. Everything that has been hidden behind the music and the live performances is laid bare, though told in the only way the band can portray themselves, through songs. It is immensely honest yet wrapped in their own folklore, the snake tongues splitting every truth into two deeper truths, every word sung dominated by the weight of all those sung before.

Tracklisting:

"Syndefall"
"Ophidian"
"Dominans"
"Natt"
"Eremitt"
"Skamløs!"
"Det Sorte"

"Syndefall":

"Ophidian" video:

(Photo - Sebastian Ludvigsen)




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

In a new interview with Joshua Toomey of the "Talk Toomey" podcast, David Ellefson was asked if he has a copy of MEGADETH's upcoming album with his bass tracks on it before they were replaced following his exit from the band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't, no, because it was all in sort of Dropbox and all that kind of stuff. You don't take anything out of there; you always leave it in there. That's the professional acumen. So, no, I do not. I don't have a copy…. They weren't mine to have. They belong to Universal Records. It's their property. They paid for it; it's their property."

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has yet to reveal who played bass on the band's new album after Ellefson's tracks were removed from the LP following his dismissal from the group in late May.

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

In July, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

In early May, on the same day that sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving Ellefson and a woman that was not his wife were posted on Twitter, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan.

On May 24, Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — announced the bassist's departure from the band.

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

For the recently completed "The Metal Tour Of The Year", MEGADETH was rejoined by bassist James LoMenzo for the first time in nearly 12 years.

LoMenzo joined MEGADETH in 2006 and appeared on two of the group's studio albums, 2007's "United Abominations" and 2009's "Endgame". He was fired from the band in 2010 and replaced with a returning Ellefson.

In addition to MEGADETH, LoMenzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and WHITE LION. For the past eight years, LoMenzo has been performing with iconic rocker John Fogerty.

DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie has set "Beautiful Shade Of Gray" as the title of his new solo album, due on May 20, 2022 via InsideOut Music. Unlike previous LPs "Elements Of Persuasion" (2005), "Static Impulse" (2010) and "Impermanent Resonance" (2013), which were written and recorded as a collaboration with LaBrie's songwriting partner for over a dozen years, Matt Guillory, the new effort was tracked with Scottish musician Paul Logue, bassist and founding member of the multinational melodic metal band EDEN'S CURSE.

In a new interview with "The Everyman Podcast", LaBrie once again explained how his collaboration with Logue came about. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I sang on one of [EDEN'S CURSE's] songs back in 2010 called 'No Holy Man'; so I guest on that. And I really liked Paul's writing. To me, Paul's writing was more from a classical era — like the '70s; that classic rock approach. And I had a lot of ideas in that vein.

"Paul and I actually bumped into each other — you think fate isn't there with you; holy shit… The day after we finished the show — DREAM THEATER in Glasgow [on] February 23rd [2020]. I'm waiting for my flight on the 24th to go to London and then Toronto, and Paul walks by me and he goes, 'James!' I'm, like, 'Oh my God!' He goes, 'You know I was at the show last night.' He kept trying to e-mail me on my old e-mail address. And he goes, 'Listen, let me know. You wanna get together? You wanna do some writing?' And I said, 'I'd love to.' At the time, I said, 'I don't know. Some freaky shit's going on. You're hearing about this virus?' 'Yeah. Yeah.' [I said] 'We've gotta go to Asia, then we've gotta go to freakin' South America and North America and all that.' I said, 'So we're probably not gonna be done till October, but why don't we start writing then? Or why don't we start throwing ideas back in the meantime, and I can even be on the road and working on it?' And he goes, 'Great.' All of a sudden, the world closes down. So we got on it… It was probably… Everything closed down March 15th, I believe, and by March 20th, him and I were already passing ideas back and forth."

Elaborating on the songwriting process for "Beautiful Shade Of Gray", LaBrie said: "We started as, we said, 'Let's just keep it real raw and acoustic-based — that'll be the fundamental of this album,' and then it kind of morphed into more of an ensemble, so [with] keyboards… Marco Sfogli is playing lead guitar on all the tracks. Paul is playing all the rhythm acoustic guitars and bass. And then [my son] Chance [LaBrie] is doing drums. Christian Pulkkinen is the keyboard player, who's a fantastic keyboard player, piano player. All the lyrics, except one, I penned.

"It was really interesting how it came together, whether I'd be throwing [Paul] a riff or I'd be throwing him a melody idea that became a chorus to one of the songs or verses," he continued. "And then he'd throw me back his ideas musically. And we slowly but surely put it all together. We had everybody fully involved. And it came out fantastic. The label is really stoked about it. It has that kind of ZEPPELIN-esque feel to it, but still the modern-day aspects of it as well are there. So it's great."

Released in August 2013 via InsideOut Music, "Impermanent Resonance" sold around 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 198 on The Billboard 200 chart. The follow-up to "Static Impulse" saw Guillory not only taking the leading role in composing the material, but also handling all of the keyboards and background vocals. The album's lineup was intact from the previous recording, featuring Marco Sfogli from Italy on guitar, Ray Riendeau (HALFORD, MACHINES OF LOVING GRACE) on bass and Swedish drummer Peter Wildoer (DARKANE, MAJESTIC), who was a finalist in the DREAM THEATER drum auditions. Additionally, former SOILWORK guitarist Peter Wichers came into the fold to contribute songwriting and studio guitars.

In 2014, LaBrie released a digital EP, "I Will Not Break", via InsideOut Music. While the opening title track was the album version taken from the "Impermanent Resonance" release, two other songs were previously only released physically as digipak bonus tracks, one tune was an alternate mix version, and two other songs were special demo versions, all previously only released physically as bonus tracks on the digipak and the Japanese edition for the "Static Impulse" album in 2010. The last three tracks were special dub step / electronica remixes of "Static Impulse" songs, previously unreleased. The remixes were done by U.S.-based DJs Jason Miller, Mutrix and NeonGenesis. The cover artwork for the EP was once again designed by Gustavo Sazes of Abstrata.net (ARCH ENEMY, KAMELOT).

In a new interview with RadioactiveMike Z, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio program "Wired In The Empire", BUCKCHERRY singer spoke about his love of METALLICA, in particular the band's early records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I grew up in Orange County, California. Basically, my rock foundation was all independent punk rock records so I never really got into quote-unquote big rock records until I was, like, maybe 17. And I befriended these two guys — they were friends of mine — and they were just crazy METALLICA fans, and they gave me 'Kill 'Em All', that record, and that was the record that did it for me. I was, like, 'This is badass, man.'

"The reason why I liked punk rock so much is because it was unfiltered," he continued. "They didn't have big record labels telling them what to say and what to do. So these were kids that were super honest with their feelings and what they were going through, and they put it in song, and that really connected with me. So, when I heard 'Kill 'Em All', I felt the same way — I felt this was a band that was a gang; they had this gang mentality. And what they were saying was real and I really believed it. And so that's why I love that record so much."

After Todd picked "Whiplash" and "Enter Sandman" as the two songs from METALLICA to play on "Wired In The Empire", RadioactiveMike Z asked him if he thought the "Black Album" was a huge departure from the group's early sound and how reacted when he first heard it. He said: "I didn't know what was gonna happen. They started getting a little more commercial. But that was okay for me, because I started maturing more as a man and a musician, and I really liked the big choruses and the big melodies. That song ['Enter Sandman'] had a lot of hooks, and I thought it was really great. And they still kind of kept their integrity. And that's what I loved about that song, for sure."

BUCKCHERRY's latest album, "Hellbound", was released in June via Round Hill Records. The follow-up to 2019's "Warpaint" was recorded last fall in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

FOZZY debuted a brand new song, "Purifier", during its September 18 concert in Flint, Michigan and has been performing it live ever since. Fan-filmed video footage of the band blazing through the track at several of its recent shows — including Flint — can be seen below.

Back in July, FOZZY debuted another new song, "The Vulture Club", during its concert in Iowa City, Iowa. The band also performed its latest single, "Sane", live for the first time.

Last month, FOZZY guitarist Rich Ward was was forced to sit out several of the band's shows for personal medical reasons. FOZZY still performed in his absence as a four-piece.

In May, FOZZY dropped a video for its first new song in two years, the aforementioned "Sane", which hit one million views in its first two weeks. This first-of-its-kind video was filmed on the longest wooden roller coaster on the planet today.

This past February, FOZZY singer — and wrestling superstar — Chris Jericho told Detroit's WRIF radio station that the band's follow-up to 2017's "Judas" album would "continue with the momentum that [the] 'Judas' [title track] started for us [four] years ago."

In the summer of 2020, Chris revealed that FOZZY's next LP will contain 12 songs, including one cover.

Ward and producer Johnny Andrews once again did "the lion's share" of the songwriting for the new LP, which was recorded primarily in Atlanta, Georgia.

In addition to producing "Judas", Andrews previously co-wrote FOZZY's "Lights Go Out" track back in 2014. He has also written songs with the likes of ALL THAT REMAINS, THREE DAYS GRACE and HALESTORM.

In November, FOZZY appeared in its first global live streaming event from Madison Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

FOZZY is Chris Jericho (vocals), Rich Ward (guitars, vocals), Frank Fontsere (drums), Billy Grey (guitars) and P.J. Farley (bass).

STEEL PANTHER singer Michael Starr says that the band has yet to secure an official replacement for longtime bassist Lexxi Foxx.

Although STEEL PANTHER played several of its recent shows with a bassist named Rikki Dazzle, Starr insists that he and his bandmates are still on the lookout for someone "permanent."

Earlier today, Michael took to his Instagram to share the following message: "After getting 432 texts this morning regarding my last post about Rikki Dazzle being our permanent bass player, I went back and had my assistant read me the actual headline. I must have been super stoned, but to be clear: We are still in the audition process. Rikki killed it hard and he will be hard to beat, but when we finally decide who the permanent guy or girl is, we will make an official announcement. Until then, stay high and rock hard."

Earlier this month, Lexxi — whose real name is Travis Haley — told Rocking With Jam Man that he hadn't spoken with his former bandmates since his exit. "I still talk to the singer a little bit; I have in the past," he said. "But I think that those scars and I think that the departure, the way that it went down, I think there's some sore spots. But that's tough for me to talk about.

"That was something that I'm very proud of — to be that character for such a long period of time, and to play with those cats," he continued. "They're all amazing musicians. And I just think that it is different to not have that [in my life] — I'd been in character for so long — but I have to say it's a little refreshing as well."

When STEEL PANTHER first announced Lexxi's exit in July, the band jokingly said that Foxx "started his side business, 'Sexy Lexxi's Prettiest Pets,' to bring in money for Botox during the lockdown." After realizing that "his love for making pets pretty was greater than his love for being pretty himself," he chose "to hang up his mirror and focus on his newfound passion: making ugly dogs pretty," the group wrote in a statement.

Back in December 2018, Lexxi sat out a STEEL PANTHER tour after being admitted to "sex rehab." The real reason for his absence was never officially disclosed.

During an appearance on a recent episode of the "2020'd" podcast, STEEL PANTHER guitarist Satchel stated about Lexxi's departure: "We didn't want him to quit. Nobody wanted him to quit, including a lot of fans. I'm sure a lot of fans are very sad that he left. But he's the guy who left the band. I think he's got his own things he's dealing with, and he just wanted to go and do that. So, I don't know… I can't answer for Lexxi Foxx. But we will all miss Lexxi Foxx, and we all wish him the best in everything that he does. But we didn't fire him; he quit the band. So we're gonna have to move on and get somebody else who's younger and foxier and doesn't need as much Botox," referencing the drug doctors have been using for years to treat wrinkles and facial creases.

Formed in 2000, STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.

The group's music has been described as "VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets 'Wayne's World', complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive."

Thirteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from '80s metal covers to originals.

Haley, who was an original member of STEEL PANTHER, recently announced the formation of his new band HOLLYWOOD GODS N' MONSTERS with longtime friend and television celebrity from MTV's "Pimp My Ride", Diggity Dave.
























View this post on Instagram









































A post shared by ᗰi¢нαєℓ $тαɾɾ (@michaelstarr)

Progressive metal masters DREAM THEATER have released a music video for the song "Awaken The Master". The track is taken from the band's 15th studio album, "A View From The Top Of The World", which came out on October 22 via InsideOut Music/Sony Music. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR).

The "Awaken The Master" clip is a frenetic, high-definition CGI marvel from long-time collaborator Wayne Joyner. It also marks the first recorded use of an eight-string guitar by DREAM THEATER's John Petrucci. The track was the last one recorded for the album and clocks in at an impressive nine minutes and 47 seconds — making it the third longest song on "A View From The Top Of The World".

Petrucci said: "It's the last song we wrote. It's also the first time I've used my eight-string guitar, which was fun for me. Back in the day when we were writing 'Awake', I'd always wanted to play a seven-string. So, I ordered myself one. I wanted to be inspired again by the instrument without any pre-conception. I used it, and I wrote in my style on the eight-string. It was actually a prototype! 'Awaken The Master' purposefully starts with guitar only. [Bassist] John Myung wrote the lyrics. Recently, I heard him say, 'The master was your heart.' He was referring to awakening your heart. It's one of the heavier songs on the record due to the range of the instrument."

DREAM THEATER — comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini — was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of their last release "Distance Over Time" and the 20th anniversary of "Scenes From A Memory" when a global pandemic brought the world to a stop. The musicians found themselves at home, with LaBrie in Canada and the rest of the group in the States. As fate would have it, they'd just finished construction on DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters) — a combination live recording studio, rehearsal space, control room, equipment storage, and creative hive. With LaBrie in Canada, he initially wrote with the band via Zoom on a monitor in DTHQ. In March 2021, he flew down to New York, quarantined, and recorded his vocals face to face with Petrucci.

Petrucci recently stated about the "A View From The Top Of The World" title: "Honestly, titling records is a funny thing because sometimes it comes really quickly — sometimes it even comes before — and sometimes it's really hard trying to come up with, 'What is the title that's gonna reflect what this album is all about?' This one, it was difficult. There was nothing that was really coming to mind. The things that were were… I don't know. It's hard to be original. Things you used or it just didn't quite do it.

"I remember the discussions we were having [were] that the music was really powerful; it was dark, but it was also positive; there's a lot of energy; there's a lot of spirit," he continued. "So, what would kind of encapsulate that? Eventually, one of the songs on the album is the epic 'A View From The Top Of The World', the title track. I had a list of dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens [of titles]… And then one day I just kind of saw that, and I was, like, 'You know what? That's pretty damn DREAM THEATER-y as a title.'

"Like anything that we do, I just pose it to everybody and say, 'What do you guys think of it?'" John added. "I think the time when you know that it is the title, or it is the decision, whatever it may be, it's when everybody kind of comes back, like, 'Yes. That's so cool.' I remember everyone was, like, 'That's such a positive title. That's cool. Love it. Thumbs up.' Blah blah blah. And you know. Then you're, like, 'Okay, cool.'"

"A View From The Top Of The World" was produced by Petrucci, with engineering and additional production by James "Jimmy T" Meslin and mixing and mastering by Andy Sneap.

DRAGONFORCE has launched a new video for "Strangers", a song from 2019's "Extreme Power Metal" album. The clip was filmed before the pandemic with a large-scale production with director Roboshobo (a.k.a. Robert Schober) in Los Angeles, California.

"Strangers" is described as "a tribute to everything '80s, featuring Steve Vai's WHITESNAKE/David Lee Roth-era guitars and band delivering the "ultimate glam metal cheese."

Guitarist Herman Li comments: "This video takes place in the same '80s world as our last video ('Troopers Of The Stars'), with the same cast and the same director. When Roboshobo pitched the concept, I was immediately into it.

"I'm a huge fan of the glam rock-era of music — I love the showmanship, the guitar solos, and the endearing cheesiness. And the players of that time were amazing, like Steve Vai, Warren DeMartini and Reb Beach; I think sometimes the playing gets lost, and people just remember the crazy outfits. So, this video is a loving tribute to that era — while also being authentic...

"Roboshobo told us to get some cool-looking guitars to fit the theme of the video, and the night before the shoot, I was panicking because we still hadn't found any. So, I texted Steve Vai and told him we were doing a glam rock video. He said, 'come on over', and when I got there, he had pulled out THE guitars he used with WHITESNAKE and David Lee Roth. I remember seeing these guitars in magazines as a kid, so it was incredible to get to use them on set — I almost cried when he handed them to me!

"Besides the guitars, I think we all looked really hunky in our costumes, especially our hair! For a minute, I was even considering getting a perm...I know people may think we're not taking ourselves seriously enough, but I think given the state of the world, sometimes it's just nice to kick back and have a laugh with your mates. That was definitely the vibe on set — we could barely keep a straight face watching the playback.

We're also releasing super-limited merch we did in collaboration with the artist Teenage Stepdad at: dragonforce.com/shop. It definitely captures the feeling of the era!"

To coincide with this video launch, DRAGONFORCE has announced a headlining North American tour for 2022, featuring BATTLE BEAST and SEVEN SPIRES as support.

DRAGONFORCE adds: "We are so excited to be playing in the USA and Canada again. We've spent the last year and a half waiting to get back on the road to finish the 'Extreme Power Metal' world tour. We've also got some new surprises. DRAGONFORCE always says more is more, so expect an even bigger, crazier show!

We're also thrilled to be bringing some incredible bands with us. BATTLE BEAST gives an amazing performance every time, and SEVEN SPIRES is one of the best young bands out there. We can't wait to see everyone in the crowd and at our VIP!"

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 29 at 10 a.m. local time.

DRAGONFORCE with BATTLE BEAST, SEVEN SPIRES tour dates:

Mar. 07 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory *

Mar. 08 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory *

Mar. 09 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post *

Mar. 10 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre *

Mar. 11 - Seattle, WA - Neptune *

Mar. 13 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom *

Mar. 15 - Calgary, AB - Palace Theater *

Mar. 16 - Edmonton, AB - Union Hall *

Mar. 18 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory *

Mar. 19 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex *

Mar. 20 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater

Mar. 22 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater

Mar. 23 - St. Louis, MO - Red Flag

Mar. 24 - Milwaukee, WI - Rave II

Mar. 25 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

Mar. 26 - Chicago, IL - Metro

Mar. 27 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall

Mar. 29 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere's

Mar. 30 - Toronto, ON - Opera House

Mar. 31 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre

Apr. 01 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial Bell

Apr. 02 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium

Apr. 03 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza

Apr. 05 - Reading, PA - Reverb

Apr. 06 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater

Apr. 07 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage

Apr. 08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theater

Apr. 09 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Petes

Apr. 10 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Heaven)

Apr. 12 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum

Apr. 13 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution

Apr. 15 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live

Apr. 16 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live

Apr. 17 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live

Apr. 19 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater

Apr. 20 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues

Apr. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Belasco Theater

Apr. 23 - Berkeley, CA - UC Theater

* Without BATTLE BEAST

The clip below features Billy Idol and longtime guitarist Steve Stevens performing a virtual set on 88.5 WXPN's Free At Noon in Los Angeles, CA. Thee performance took place on August 27th and they performed the classics "White Wedding", "To Be A Lover" and "Rebel Yell", and new song "Bitter Taste".





Billy Idol recently released a lyric video for "Rita Hayworth", the opening track of his new 4-song EP, The Roadside, out now via Dark Horse Records. Watch the new clip below.




Available on CD, vinyl, and limited edition blue vinyl, the EP can be pre-ordered here.








Tracklisting:


"Rita Hayworth"
"Bitter Taste"
"U Don't Have To Kiss Me Like That"
"Baby Put Your Clothes Back On"


"Rita Hayworth" lyric video:





"Bitter Taste" video:

The party's rocking, raise your drinks. Stone Whiskey continues to promote their incredible debut album, Rebels Of The Sun, with the release of a sixth single and video, "Livin' Wild".





North Carolina hard rockers, Stone Whiskey, released their debut album, Rebels Of The Sun, a record chock full of hard-hitting rebellious rock ‘n’ roll, in May 2021.




“This album screams rock ‘n’ roll from start to finish,” says guitarist Bill Spears. “It's got all the key ingredients I want in a band... killer vocals, big guitars, catchy hooks and stories delivered with just the right amount of swagger and character.”


Stone Whiskey’s classic, time tested sound was bought to life by producer Anthony Focx, whose more than 500 releases include Buckcherry, Night Ranger, Vince Neil, Daughtry, Aerosmith and 17 gold and platinum awards.


“Quarantine really gave us the time to focus on writing songs and recording the album,” says vocalist Alan Rueda. “Being able to work with a producer like Anthony Focx was awesome. He took what we had and made it sound like a rock album should sound.”


There’s no filler on Rebels Of The Sun, with each of the record’s nine tracks delivering a hefty dose of high-energy rock. Drawing comparisons to Guns N’ Roses’ early recordings, Stone Whiskey has already garnered praise for their classic sound, with fans enthusing that the Raleigh-based quintet is carrying the old school rock ‘n’ roll torch for a new generation.


“This album is made to be played as loud as possible,” notes bassist Jim Hunter. “If you dig albums like Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction and The Cult’s Electric, Rebels Of The Sun just might scratch that rock n roll itch.”


Check out the videos for the first five singles from the release, the title track “Rebels Of The Sun”, “Into The Moonlight”, "Empty Eyes", "Feels Like Yesterday", and "Out On The City" below. 


Get your copy of Rebels Of The Sun here.





Tracklisting:


"Into The Moonlight"
"Empty Eyes"
"Rebels Of The Sun"
"Out On The City"
"Troublemaker"
"Mirror"
"Feels Like Yesterday"
"Talkin' Dirty"
"Livin' Wild"


"Rebels Of The Sun" video:





"Into The Moonlight" video:





"Empty Eyes" video:





"Feels Like Yesterday" video:





"Out On The City" video:





 


 

Volbeat performed at the Palladium in Hollywood / Los Angeles, CA on October 6th. Live Rock Music by Scott Perry has shared video of the entire show in 4K HD sound. Check out the footage below. 


Scott Perry: "Volbeat didn't disappoint the fans, there was a mosh pit going the entire concert, some crowd surfing and even a proposal during the song 'Last Day Under The Sun'! Some dude even tried to get on stage it was pretty crazy!


Filmed in 4K HD with crystal clear stereo sound using a Shure condenser microphone that attaches right to an iPhone. I really try to capture the feeling of what it is like to be in the crowd rocking out, I hope you all love this video please like and share all you want."




Setlist:


"The Devil's Bleeding Crown"
"Pelvis on Fire"
"Doc Holliday"
"Lola Montez"
"A Warrior's Call / I Only Want to Be With You"
"Sad Man's Tongue"
"Last Day Under the Sun"
"Wait a Minute My Girl"
"Leviathan"
"Black Rose"
"Let it Burn"
"Don't Tread On Me" (Metallica cover)
"Slaytan"
"Dead but Rising"
"Fallen"
"Shotgun Blues"


Encore:
"Hallelujah Goat"
"Die to Live"
"Seal the Deal"
"Still Counting"





Volbeat will release their new studio album, Servant Of The Mind, on December 3 via EMI Records. The new album will be available in standard/digipack CD, deluxe 2LP vinyl (with various limited-edition variants, more info below), a deluxe digital edition, plus a special box set (including 2CD digipack, 28pg booklet, bandana, and hip flask, housed in a metal box, available from the official Volbeat store). Pre-order the album here.


For Servant Of The Mind, the band - Michael Poulsen (guitars/vocals), Jon Larsen (drums), Rob Caggiano (guitars) and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass) - took their signature heavy metal, psychobilly, and punk ‘n’ roll sound up a notch while showcasing Poulsen’s keen ability for songwriting and storytelling.


"I wrote the whole album in three months," recalls Poulsen, “I was in a good place and mood while at home, and had a captive audience of myself… There are a lot of Volbeat signatures in it. If you go back to the first record and compare it to where we are now, you can hear how the band has developed its style, while keeping the signature sound."


To coincide with the album announcement, the group has released the new single “Shotgun Blues”, an anthemic track in which Poulsen explores the ghostly events he recently experienced upon moving into a new home. “Every time you move into a house, you bring dead people with you,” he explains. “Weird stuff happens when I move into a [new] house… it's very otherworldly." Watch the lyric video below.


The album also includes the double barrel of summer songs the band released in June: “Wait A Minute My Girl” and “Dagen Før" (feat. Stine Bramsen) (the former of which became the band’s ninth #1 single on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart).


Other songs on the album weave intricate and fascinating tales. "The Sacred Stones" tells the story of “an earthly being who has committed himself to the dark side. He is on a mission, speaking to darker forces and fallen angels." Meanwhile, "The Devil Rages On" looks at the idea of the devil taking human form. Album opener “Temple Of Ekur” returns to the ancient themes explored in past songs such as “The Gates of Babylon,” while the epic album closer “Lasse’s Birgita” explores the story of the first witch burnings to occur in Sweden in 1471.


Volbeat are two decades deep into a career that has found them sharing stages with genre legends like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Motorhead, Slipknot, Megadeth, Anthrax and more. They have racked up nearly three billion cumulative streams over the course of their career, notched a Best Metal Performance Grammy nomination for "Room 24 (feat. King Diamond)" from 2014's acclaimed (and gold-selling) Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, and have grabbed multiple Danish Music Awards. Not ones to rest on their laurels, their forthcoming album Servant Of The Mind, which was written and recorded during the shutdown and quarantine necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is introspective but pulls no punches and is no less raucous or driving than their previous efforts.


Tomorrow, the band kicks off their Wait A Minute… Let’s Tour run, their first US tour in two years. Special guests The Hu, Twin Temple, and Municipal Waste will be joining them for select dates. Tickets for these dates are on sale now here. Earlier this week the band also announced their 2022 co-headlining arena tour with Ghost and special guests Twin Temple. Tickets for the US tour, co-produced by Live Nation and Frank Productions, will be available tomorrow, Friday, September 24 at 10 AM, local time. Limited VIP packages are also available at volbeat.dk. The band will return to the UK in 2022, with a slot at the Download Festival in June already confirmed.


Since forming in 2001, Volbeat has gone from the clubs of Copenhagen to headlining stages around the world, including the famed Telia Parken stadium in Denmark (becoming the only domestic artist to ever sell out the venue). Over the course of seven record-breaking albums the band has picked up number one songs (including nine #1s on the US Mainstream Rock chart and counting, the most of any band based outside of North America), multi-platinum certifications, awards, and accolades all over the planet. Their latest album, Rewind, Replay, Rebound, was released in 2019, giving the band their highest national album chart position in the UK yet at #7, and has spawned the hit singles “Last Day Under The Sun,” “Die To Live (feat. Neil Fallon)” and “Leviathan.” A live album featuring songs recorded during the subsequent world tour, Rewind, Replay, Rebound: Live in Deutschland, was released digitally in November 2020. Most recently, they contributed a cover of “Don’t Tread On Me” to The Metallica Blacklist, with all proceeds from the track benefiting the All Within My Hands Foundation and the Børne Cancer Fonden of Denmark.





Servant Of The Mind vinyl variants (Europe):


- Standard 180g black vinyl 2 LP
- Crystal Clear 2 LP, volbeat.dk webstore exclusive, limited to 2000
- Glow In The Dark 2 LP, EMP exclusive, limited to 2000
- Orange and Blue 2 LP, UMG exclusive, limited to 3000
- Danish Red and White 2 LP – only available in Denmark, limited to 2000


Servant Of The Mind vinyl variants (North America):


- Standard 180g black vinyl 2LP
- Translucent Rust 2 LP – volbeat.dk webstore exclusive, limited to 550
- Transparent Yellow 2 LP – Revolver Magazine exclusive, limited to 400
- Mystery Colour LP2 – indie retail exclusive, limited to 100





Tracklisting:


“Temple Of Ekur“
“Wait A Minute My Girl“
“The Sacred Stones“
“Shotgun Blues“
“The Devil Rages On“
“Say No More“
“Heaven’s Descent“
“Dagen Før“ (feat. Stine Bramsen)
“The Passenger“
“Step Into Light“
“Becoming“
“Mindlock“
“Lasse’s Birgitta“


Deluxe 2 CD/2 LP and Digital Deluxe bonus tracks:


“Return To None“ (Wolfbrigade cover)
“Domino“ (The Cramps/Roy Orbison cover)
“Shotgun Blues“ (feat. Dave Matrise from Jungle Rot)
“Dagen Før“ (Michael Vox Version)


“Shotgun Blues” lyric video:





"Wait A Minute My Girl" video:





"Dagen Før" lyric video:

Cradle Of Filth performed at the 2021 edition of Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Park in Derbyshire, UK back in August Check out pro-shot video of "Crawling King Chaos" from the show below.





Cradle Of Filth released their new album, Existence Is Futile, on October 22nd via Nuclear Blast. The album consists of 12 new tracks with a total playing time of 54 minutes.







Tracklisting:


"The Fate Of The World On Our Shoulders"
"Existential Terror"
"Necromantic Fantasies"
"Crawling King Chaos"
"Here Comes A Candle… (Infernal Lullaby)"
"Black Smoke Curling From The Lips Of War"
"Discourse Between A Man And His Soul"
"The Dying Of The Embers"
"Ashen Mortality"
"How Many Tears To Nurture A Rose?"
"Suffer Our Dominion"
"Us, Dark, Invincible"
"Sisters Of The Mist" (Bonus track)
"Unleash The Hellion" (Bonus track)


"Crawling King Chaos" video:





"Necromantic Fantasies" video:

On October 29, Whitechapel will release their new album, Kin, via Metal Blade Records. The band recently releadsed their new single, "Orphan", and have followed it up with a guitar playthrough video. Check it out below.










At this stage in the game, the name Whitechapel commands respect. Already sitting on one of the most enviable catalogs in contemporary metal, in 2019 they dropped The Valley, showcasing a confident evolution in their sound and standing as a true landmark release that sets a new standard for the genre. "To me, it was like the stars aligning for us to create our almost perfect record in regard to songwriting, vocal performance, the mix and master, and the artwork," says guitarist Alex Wade. "We like to look at our albums as chapters of our career, and that is one chapter I will never forget. I think it really solidified that we can embrace a new sound, and if we execute it properly, then the fanbase is going to support and enjoy it." In 2021, they return with that album's successor, the mighty Kin, which is an even more dynamic and diverse collection, further advancing the band's sound into new territory without losing sight of what brought them to this point. "I feel with every album, we learn what worked best on the last one and try to utilize that in our writing. Early in the writing, there was some discussion of the album being like 'The Valley' part II, not literally called that, but in how the songs sound and flow through it. It's very much a storytelling type record like 'The Valley' was," adds vocalist Phil Bozeman, "Musically, we just want to create what we vibe with at the given moment. We write music with how we feel and not what is expected of us, while lyrically the idea of continuing from the story of 'The Valley' was always the goal."


The resulting record explores a lot of sonic and emotional territory, and for the first time, it could be said that a Whitechapel record is as much a rock album as it is a metal one, an assertion Wade agrees with. "It's still very much a metal album, but there are elements of the record that have more of a rock and open vibe. We really wanted these songs to breathe and have life and to sound bigger than anything we've made so far. We have explored more singing on 'Kin' too. It wouldn't make sense to have the majority of the fanbase enjoy that sound and then shy away from it." This is not to say that the band have lost their hardest edges, with the full-on death metal assault that kicks off both "Lost Boy" and "To The Wolves" as brutal and serrated as extreme metal gets, and while Bozeman explores his wide-ranging singing voice more, he also cuts loose with his trademark roar across the album's eleven tracks.


Tracking of Kin was predominantly done at guitarist Zach Householder's home studio with producer Mark Lewis producing his fifth straight Whitechapel album, making for a very comfortable working environment. "Creating records with him has an effortless flow to it, and we can track things pretty quickly and efficiently these days," says Wade. "Mark has a great ear for giving us unique and complementary guitar and drum tones for the songs we are trying to record." The tracks were then sent off to David Castillo at Ghostward Studios in Sweden for mixing, with Ted Jensen mastering it in Nashville, TN. Now, having another album they can be as proud of as its predecessor, it stands them in good stead as they look toward the future. "I see more growth and a limitless potential," says Wade. "I think we found a great formula on 'The Valley', and we used that to create another monumental record for our career that I can't wait for people to hear. We hope to continue to grow our fanbase with this new album, and always seek to move in a positive direction. I'm excited as the pandemic lessens for the touring world to come back to life and to be able to perform these massive songs we have created in the manner they were meant to be heard - live and loud."





Kin can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:


- digipak-CD
- deluxe box set (hardcover box includes: exclusive gold vinyl, gold 7-inch single, 72-page photo book)
- 180g white vinyl (EU exclusive)
- clear sky blue marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- clear ash grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- midnight blue marbled vinyl (Eyesore exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- milky clear w/ blue and white splattered blob vinyl (Kings Road exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- gold / black split vinyl (Impericon exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- cool grey marbled vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- gold / black dust vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- opaque cyan (sides A/B) black (sides C/D) vinyl (US exclusive)
- black w/ white edge splatter vinyl (US exclusive)
- royal blue / black color in color vinyl (Newbury exclusive)
- electric blue w/ aqua blue splatter vinyl (Revolver exclusive)
- cyan w/ black splatter vinyl (US exclusive)
- white / cyan melt vinyl (US exclusive)





Kin tracklisting:


"I Will Find You"
"Lost Boy"
"A Bloodsoaked Symphony"
"Anticure"
"The Ones That Made Us"
"History Is Silent"
"To the Wolves"
"Orphan"
"Without You"
"Without Us"
"Kin"


"Lost Boy" video:





"A Bloodsoaked Symphony"

December 3rd will see Gothenburg metal powerhouse Manimal release their forthcoming studio album, Armageddon. They have shared a blistering lyric video for their new single "Chains Of Fury", which perfectly emphazises the band's trademark sound of pure steel!


Manimal's loyalty to traditional heavy metal influences is evident, though their latest and much acclaimed 2018- album "Purgatorio" was a prime example of modern and trend-setting power metal characterised by musical enthusiasm, exceptional talent and new ideas. As expected of a band that claims Judas Priest, King Diamond and Queensrÿche as major influences on their sound since Day 1, Manimal's upcoming album is a high energy, in-your-face salute to the music that inspired them over the past 20 years.


The band's evolution between the upcoming Armageddon and their first album, The Darkest Room - released in 2009 - is unquestionable. Their songwriting has become tighter, stronger and bolder, and they have improved by leaps and bounds as musicians. Armageddon showcases their wide range of a heavy as hell sound, and one that will most likely win over the true hearts of both the old school and every modern metal fan.




After previously released singles "Forged In Metal", "The Inevitable End", the epic album title track and just recently, the thunderous album opener "Burn In Hell", today Manimal have unleashed another killer track taken from Armageddon! 


"I think this one stands out a bit from the rest of the songs on the album." Vocalist Samuel Nyman comments. "It has this grinding, almost hypnotizing groove and it's probably one of the heaviest tracks we've ever released. And the message it brings is clear - break loose from your chains of fury!


Once again we've been working with the much talented Andy Pilkington of Very Metal Art to visualize the song and I think he has really managed to capture the very core of the song this time as well."


Watch the lyric video for "Chains Of Fury" below.





Armageddon will be available as LP, CD and Digital formats. Preorder options available here.





Tracklisting:


“Burn In Hell”
“Armageddon”
“Slaves Of Babylon”
“Forged In Metal”
“Chains Of Fury”
“Evil Soul”
“Path To The Unknown”
“Master Of Pain”
“Insanity”
“The Inevitable End”


“Forged In Metal”





“The Inevitable End”:





"Armageddon"

Gore fueled death metallers Pathology recently announced their 11th studio album, The Everlasting Plague, to be released on November 19 via Nuclear Blast. Today, the band offers fans the third single, "Dirge For The Infected".


Pathology comments: "We're stoked to finally share another track from the new album! 'Dirge For The Infected' shows the full range of Pathology's music, from brutally heavy to fast and complex along with everything in between. Take a journey with us on this new track and prepare yourselves for the new album The Everlasting Plague!"


The Everlasting Plague will be available in the following formats:




- CD Jewel Case
- Re-Agent Green Vinyl
- CD + T-Shirt Bundle





Pre-order your copy of The Everlasting Plague here. Pre-save the album here.





The Everlasting Plague tracklisting:


"A Pound Of Flesh"
"Perpetual Torment"
"Engaging In Homicide"
"Procession Of Mangled Humans"
"Viciously Defiled"
"Diseased Morality"
"Submerged In Eviscerated Carnage"
"Corrosive Cranial Affliction"
"As The Entrails Wither"
"Dirge For The Infected"
"Death Ritual Deciphered"
"Decomposition Of Millions"


"Dirge For The Infected" lyric video:





"As The Entrails Wither" lyric video:





"Engaging In Homicide" video:

Screaching towards Halloween, LORDI brings with them what is probably the most gruesome Halloween news of 2021: the Finnish ESC winners from 2006 (“Hard Rock Hallelujah”) now have their own ghost train!

All aboard The LORDI Ghost Train and experience gruelling terror in the truly unique LORDI style that is featured in the new music video for the bands 3rd single from the upcoming album “Lordiversity”.

The video, written and directed by Mr. Lordi himself, who was also responsible for the special effects, took place in that very same ghost train and can be viewed below.

From spring 2022, The LORDI Ghost Train will roll through Finland as a part of the country's largest touring carnival Tivoli Sariola.
“The ghost train is the park's original ride from Tivoli Sariola”, reveals Mr. Lordi. “It got an all new design, completely branded on us. She was quasi lordified."
It is a great honour for the musician from Rovaniemi in northern Finland. "No other rock band on this planet has had its own ghost train!"

The music video, in which the train of horror can already be seen, is the back drop for the song "Borderline" from the bands new album. The word "album" is definitely an understatement regarding the latest release by LORDI: On November 26th 2021, the band will be the first in music history to release a set of seven seperate studio albums of new music! This bold statement is titled “Lordiversity”.

LORDI
Starting spring 2022, the new LORDI themed GHOST TRAIN rattles its way through Finnish fair grounds across the monster rockers home country!

New seven-fold album "Lordiversity" will be released on November 26th 2021 – new single out now.
Screaching towards Halloween, LORDI brings with them what is probably the most gruesome Halloween news of 2021: the Finnish ESC winners from 2006 (“Hard Rock Hallelujah”) now have their own ghost train!

All aboard The LORDI Ghost Train and experience gruelling terror in the truly unique LORDI style that is featured in the new music video for the bands 3rd single from the upcoming album “Lordiversity”.

The video, written and directed by Mr. Lordi himself, who was also responsible for the special effects, took place in that very same ghost train and can be viewed here:



From spring 2022, The LORDI Ghost Train will roll through Finland as a part of the country's largest touring carnival Tivoli Sariola.
“The ghost train is the park's original ride from Tivoli Sariola”, reveals Mr. Lordi. “It got an all new design, completely branded on us. She was quasi lordified."
It is a great honour for the musician from Rovaniemi in northern Finland. "No other rock band on this planet has had its own ghost train!"

The music video, in which the train of horror can already be seen, is the back drop for the song "Borderline" from the bands new album. The word "album" is definitely an understatement regarding the latest release by LORDI: On November 26th 2021, the band will be the first in music history to release a set of seven seperate studio albums of new music! This bold statement is titled “Lordiversity”.



These seven albums are essentially the missing recordings on which the last album “Killection” was based on. "Killection" was a concept album by LORDI that brilliantly envisioned the greatest hits of the monster rock band as if they had existed since the early 70s. Two years after this "Best Of" compilation, "Lordiversity" delivers the imagined back catalog to join the bands legacy.

Mr. Lordi explains: “In the week of March 2020 after our tour had to be cancelled, I thought I would have to use this additional time that is available to me. It quickly became clear that the time was perfect to start planning another album, even though “Killection” was not even three months old at the time. Then I realized, however, that there couldn't be anything more boring than making a regular LORDI album. I had really enjoyed writing, recording and producing the different styles for “Killection”, but the idea of simply composing a second part of it also struck me as extremely boring. But since "Killection" was a fictional album based on a previously non-existent fictional back catalog of music, I had the idea: The only thing that could top "Killection" would be to record and publish the back catalog."

"Skeletric Dinosaur", "Superflytrap", "The Masterbeast From The Moon", "Abusement Park", "Humanimals", "Abracadaver" and "Spooky Sextravaganza Spectecular" all appear on the November 26th release. The complete work is called “Lordiversity”. Monster songs for the monster within us all!


LORDI is:
Mr. Lordi (Vocals)
Mr. Amen (Guitars)
Mr. Hiisi (Bass)
Mr. Mana (Drums)
Ms. Hella (Keyboards)

Follow LORDI:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LordiOfficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lordiofficial/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/LORDIOFFICIAL
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Lordiofficial

Order & Stream "Lordiversity": https://afm.fanlink.to/LORDI_Lordiversity